My random ramblings and stray reflections about anything from social justice and global/international issues to internship/job postings peppered with the occasional event info that might interest friends and foes alike.

Huwaida Arraf and Adam Shapiro, International Solidarity Movementon their work today in Palestine and Lebanon

Installation of various artists from Three Cities Against the Wall

Rachel Corrie, an American peace activist, was killed by a Caterpillar D9 bulldozer in 2003 as she stood in front of a Palestinian family’s home, protecting it from being demolished while the family was inside.

This is amazing news. Power to South Asians! The region has come along way in its almost six decades of independent existence. While many say we have miles to go before we sleep, I like to think we also have much to be proud of.

Slow and steady...we'll make it.

While I am delighted that Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, received the award, I was slightly taken aback when I read the sub-headline for an article from The Economist:

"An anti-poverty campaigner and a bank in Bangladesh have won this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. The purpose of the prize has become muddled. It may be better to withhold it next time"

Upon reading the article, I found out some very interesting information and a different point of view on how the bestowing of this award works. Read on for further enlightenment...

About Turning Point: Turning Point is a community based, non-profit organization addressing the needs of Muslim women and children through crisis intervention, individual and group counseling, advocacy, outreach, education and training.

Directions: By subway: Via #7 Flushing IRT. Exit Willets Point/Shea Stadium and follow the yellow signs on a ten-minute walk through the park to the museum, which is located next to the Unisphere. alternatively, exit at 111th Street Station. Walk south on 111th Street past the New York Hall of Science. Left on 49th Avenue into the Park. Continue past fountain over the Grand Central Parkway bridge. Museum is on right, next to Unisphere.

Thursday, October 12, 2006

In a private audience today with leaders from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) at the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI issued his strongest declaration against anti-Semitism since assuming the papacy, telling the visiting delegation of Jewish leaders that he would, "be a strong, constant voice against anti-Semitism."

Pope Benedict also used the meeting as an opportunity to express regret over the recent controversy surrounding his remarks on the Prophet Mohammed and Islam. He told ADL leaders that his remarks were intended as an invitation to dialogue between Islam and other religions, and that his quoting from a medieval text that characterized some of Mohammed's teachings as "evil and inhuman" was misunderstood by many in the Muslim world.

The purpose of this presentation is to explore the relationship between a cosmopolitan conception of justice and spirituality as foundations of peace. “Peace” is a cosmopolitan social order that secures justice by guaranteeing all dimensions of rights and common duties necessary for human flourishing. Justice and thus peace are in turn contingent upon the development of internal moral capacities necessary for moral responsibility, the most central of which is the notion of Being Peace. Being Peace is a spiritual condition that functions as our moral compass, ensuring that we are capable of responding to others with respect and compassion. In a negative sense the moral standard here is internal discord. The positive conception is being-peace, is being at peace with one’s self. This perspective asserts an independent moral resource that is not contingent upon social custom. It thus provides a moral check on the society, enabling one to say no when the society around you is saying yes to an immoral act. From this perspective, ethics is a function of our spiritual condition, the state of our being.

Dale T. Snauwaert, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Educational Theory and Social Foundations of Education and Chair of the Department of Foundations of Education at the University of Toledo. He received his B.A. in Philosophy at the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1983, a M.Ed. in Educational Policy and Ph.D. in Philosophy of Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1990. He has also taught at Colgate University, The University of Missouri, Teachers College, Columbia University, and Adelphi University. He is the author of Democracy, Education, and Governance: A Developmental Conception (State University of New York Press, 1993), which received an American Educational Studies Association Critics' Choice Award in 1995. He has published in such academic journals as Educational Theory, Journal of Educational Thought, Peabody Journal of Education, Holistic Education Review, Current Issues in Comparative Education, and Encounter on such topics as democratic education, the nature of teaching, moral education, holistic education, and international ethics. He is currently working on a book on the ethics of war and peace and human rights education. He was Associate Editor of Encounter: Education for Meaning and Social Justice from 1997-2002, and remains on their editorial board. His research interests focus on two areas: (1) moral and political philosophy as they pertain to educational theory, especially the ethics of war and peace, democracy, and human rights, and (2) the nature of consciousness and holistic education. He teaches courses in the philosophy and social foundations of education.

I could not resist reading this and thinking of me going deaf within a few years. For most of the past four years, I have used the subway system on an almost daily basis for extended periods of time. No trip on the train has lasted for less than 15 minutes. And I was planning on buying an iPod, too.

So, the info in this article, and study, is really eye-opening. Or maybe ear-opening.

Excerpt below:

"As little as 30 minutes a day exposed to the high decibel levels of New York's subway system could result in hearing loss -- and wearing an iPod can increase the risk, according to a new U.S. study.

So how can the four million or so commuters who use the New York subway system lessen the risks to their hearing?

Rudy Gershon (professor of sociomedical sciences and lead author of the study) suggested standing at the front of the station platform rather than the back or middle as the study found the noise levels were lighter at the front.

"But the best way is to use hearing protection and the cheapest way is to use these little ear plugs that you can buy in pharmacy for about $1 or $2," she said."

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

(Wednesday, November 8- Saturday, November 11; Registration deadline October 17)

Represent your country, discuss and debate foreign policy and experience the life of a U.S. Army cadet as an international delegate to the prestigious, annual Student Conference on United States Affairs (SCUSA) at the West Point Military Academy.Since 1949, SCUSA has brought together an outstanding group of students to debate major issues of American foreign policy.The theme of SCUSA 58 is “Challenges to Security: Extremism, Resources and Globalization.”

Metro International recruits a special delegation of international students to enrich the conference with their various national and cultural perspectives. Selection is competitive and based on an application and brief essay.More information and the application are now available on Metro’s website.

We are in the middle of one of Gotham's greatest immigration waves, triggered by the 1965 immigration law. Our distinguished panelists will analyze how the newcomers have experienced, and transformed, the city.

Finally, an interactive conversation between all the participants will be moderated by Maria Hinojosa, Anchor, Latino USA on NPR and Senior Correspondent, NOW on PBS.

The History Forum showcases the best new work on New York City history. The GothamCenter for New York City History was founded by Mike Wallace, Pulitzer Prize-winning co-author of Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898.

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

There is a golden opportunity for Council for the National Interest (CNI) supporters to take part in a CNI workshop on Sunday, October 29th, and participate during the next two days, October 30th and 31st, John Duke Anthony's National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations. He has an excellent program including a reception at the Saudi Embassy and he has offered to waive all registration fees and the cost of lunch, dinner, and reception, as well as reduced hotel rates, for CNI members. Ordinarily, this would cost over $300. Please see below.

We will plan a suitable workshop on the subject of the "A Tipping Point: America's Changing Perception of the U.S.-Israel Relationship." We will have a screening of the debate in New York City between Prof. John Mearsheimer, Rashid Khalidi, Tony Judt, Martin Indyk, Dennis Ross, and Shlomo Ben-Ami, the former Foreign Minister of Israel. We have tentative plans for a dinner on Sunday evening, depending on how many sign up.

I am pleased to inform you that on Oct. 30-31 the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations (www.ncusar.org) will host its 15th Annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, located at 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW in Washington, DC.

The National Council will be focusing its attention this year on Saudi Arabian-United States relations on Oct. 30, and the future of the Gulf Cooperation Council on Oct. 31.His Royal Highness Prince Turki Al-Faisal, Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to the United States, will host a reception at the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia for all attendees the evening of Oct. 30. The “Forum on the Future of the Gulf Cooperation Council” will commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the GCC.

CNI conference attendees will receive free registration for the event (up to a $300 value), which includes all sessions, two lunches and two receptions on Oct. 30.Conference attendees will all receive gift books and publications from the US-Saudi Arabian Business Council and other sponsors.

DISCOUNTED HOTEL INFORMATION

The National Council has reserved a special discounted hotel rate on the nights of October 29 & 30 of $159/night plus applicable taxes for CNI attendees at the Holiday Inn - Central (1501 Rhode Island Ave NW).To access this discounted rate, please contact the hotel’s front desk (1-202-483-2000) and mention the National Council on US-Arab Relations group rate to the reservation specialist.These rooms are now available on a first come, first serve basis.To receive the discounted rate, you must make your hotel reservations by October 16th.

HOW TO REGISTER

Fill out a registration form and submit it back to the National Council via fax (202-293-7770), or regular mail.The conference registration form is available online at: http://www.ncusar.org/auspc/AUSPC_registration_form.pdf.In order to qualify for free registration for the event, please clearly note on your completed registration form that you received this notice from CNI.

Ambassador Turki Al-Faisal will be the featured keynote speaker along with other prominent American, Saudi Arabia and Gulf personalities, including former U.S. ambassadors to Riyadh, GCC and U.S. officials and ambassadors from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Information about the 15th Annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference, including (when available) the conference schedule and roster of speakers, can be found online at www.ncusar.org.

Monday, October 09, 2006

The NYU Global Health Review and Americans for Informed Democracy are hosting a Young Leaders Summit on Global Health on October 29, 2006 with the theme: “Innovative Solutions to Healthcare in Low Resource Settings.” The summit will bring together young professionals and students from across the world for a series of panels, discussions, and workshops aimed at examining the unique opportunities for young leaders to promote better health care infrastructure in developing countries through innovative global partnerships and social entrepreneurship.

Thanks to the generous support of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Open Society Institute, and Ford Foundation, the summit is free for selected participants, including tuition and food. Travel to the conference is at the participant’s expense, but Americans for Informed Democracy will do its best to set up car pools for participants coming from the Northeast and mid-Atlantic region.

Join us for our annual fall forum next Monday Oct 9th, as we celebrateIndigenous People's Day (formerly known as Columbus Day) and therelease of our new fall issue of Left Turn magazine #22. The holiday isappropriate as our discussion will focus on racism, popularculture and US policy in the near east.

Far from being just another slogan on a banner, anti-arab racism has deephistorical roots here in the US. We cannot understand US policy in theregion and why it has been so difficult for us to mount a more substantivechallenge to US imperialism abroad without looking at the history ofanti-arab racism domestically. Far from simply being atool of the right-wing, this form of racism has a long history within ourown progressive movements as well.

Come support Left Turn, pick up the new issue of the magazine orAnti-Capitalista t-shirt for all your peoples, and join us for what shouldbe an important discussion...

Forum Participants:

Rami El-Amine is a founder and former editor of Left Turn magazine. Hisarticles have appeared on ZNET, Muslim Wake Up, and DissidentVoice. His most recent article "Anti-Arab Racism, Islam, and theLeft" appeared in the fall issue of Left Turn Magazine (#22) and can beread online at: http://www.leftturn.org/Racism.aspx

Anjali Kamat is a freelance writer who writes for *The Hindu*, andco-hosts 'Global Movements, Urban Struggles' on WBAI radio. She has beenan organizer with NYU Students for Justice in Palestine, theWorld Tribunal on Iraq, and the Action Wednesdays Against Warcollective.

Sherene Seikaly is a doctoral candidate in History and Middle EasternStudies at NYU, and an organizer at NYU Students for Justice inPalestine and GSOC-UAW Local 2110.

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Public Transport to the Brecht ForumA, C, E or L to 14th Street & 8th Ave, walk down 8th Ave. to Bethune, turnright, walk west to the River, turn left

1, 2, 3 or 9 to 14th Street & 7th Ave, get off at south end ofstation, walk west on 12th Street to 8th Ave. left to Bethune, turn right,walk west to the River, turn left.

PATH Train to Christopher Street north on Greenwich St to Bank Street,left to the river.

#11 or #20 Bus to Abingdon Square, west on Bethune

#14A or #14D Bus to 8th Ave & 14th Street, walk down 8th Ave. andwest on Bethune to the river

On August 19th, 2003, a bomb exploded outside the UN headquarters in Baghdad. Among the 22 killed was Sergio Vieira de Mello. One of the most tireless and effective advocates for peace and stability the world has ever known the Vieira de Mello traversed the globe using his uncommon diplomatic skills to accomplish the impossible.

This is a testament to the power of diplomacy (Sun Sentinel).

www.pbs.org/enroutetobaghdad

Discussion with:

*Mr. Hamid Abdeljaber*, UN Deputy Spokesman for the late Sergio Vieira de Mello in Iraq. Mr. Abdeljaber left Baghdad just a few hours before the 19 August deadly attack. The person who replaced him died in the blast.

*Mr. Chaim Litewski *works for the UN as a senior TV producer. In the last 15 years he has covered all major world conflicts.

*Simone Duarte* filmmaker and director, who traveled nine countries including North Korea to show Vieira De Mello's route to Baghdad.

Zeeshan's shared items

Zeeshan Suhail is a communications professional with several years of experience in international private sector and development organizations. He is a Board Member for the Washington, D.C.-based Americans for Informed Democracy and the New York City-based World Faith. His articles on international development and Western-Muslim world relations have been featured in media outlets internationally. Zeeshan has advanced leadership certifications and has been selected as a Carnegie New Leader by the Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Affairs and a Muslim Leader of Tomorrow by the Cordoba Initiative.
Zeeshan holds an undergraduate degree in International Business from Queens College-CUNY (where he was also the first Muslim Vice President of student government in the college's then 35 years of student government history) and a graduate degree in International Relations from the Graduate Center-CUNY. Zeeshan is fluent in Urdu, and proficient in other South Asian languages and enjoys independent cinema, old South Asian film songs and traveling. He is based in Lahore, Pakistan.